New Delhi, October 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged all ministers and Union secretaries to factor in inputs related to national security while framing policies and ensuring that government plans were dynamic rather than static.
Speaking at a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers held this week, the Prime Minister cited how key inputs on India’s growing import dependence for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), shared with the government ministers from time to time by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), were not given due importance.
During a five-hour long meeting that was also attended by all secretaries in the Central government, the PM directed all ministers and secretaries to value the inputs given by the NSCS and keep India’s strategic interests in mind while framing policies.
The Prime Minister cited the API example to point out how the NSCS inputs and notes were not taken seriously at times, said sources.
The meeting also witnessed a detailed presentation from Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri.
Misri is learnt to have explained the prevailing global scenario with the focus on Europe, Russia and the US, and how these changes were impacting India.
Finance Secretary TV Somanathan and Commerce Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam also made presentations after which the Prime Minister sought flexibility and dynamism in policy-making.
The PM’s suggestion was that policies must be revisited and customised as time changed.
The API example was the key considering India began working in a major way to reduce API import dependence on China only in mid-2020 after the LAC standoff, with the government launching a production-linked incentive scheme.
At present, India’s estimated API imports from China is 68 per cent.
The Prime Minister told the meeting that there was a tendency of being complacent in framing and implementing policies and this should be avoided.
